ALBERT KRIEMLER - AKRIS
Since 1922, Akris has quietly built one of fashion’s most enduring independent success stories. Founded in St. Gallen by Alice Kriemler-Schoch, the maison began as a small atelier making impeccably crafted aprons before evolving, over three generations, into one of the world’s most respected luxury fashion houses. Still family-owned today, Akris has long chosen substance over spectacle, building its identity around exceptional textiles, architectural tailoring and an uncompromising commitment to craftsmanship. Under the creative direction of Albert Kriemler, those values continue to evolve, with every collection beginning not with a sketch, but with the fabric itself.
Words by Carolina Anzalone.
Batura at PRM photographed by Panos Damaskinidis. Styled by Alton Hetariki. Makeup by Hannah Davies using Anastasia Beauty. Hair by Christos Bairabas using Hair by Sam McKnight. Casting by Edwin S Freyer. Socials and video by Boram Lee.
All Fashion by Akris.
For Fall Winter 2026, that language of material becomes especially vivid through a collaboration with Colombian textile artist Olga de Amaral. Albert explains that what interested him was not translating her work literally, but understanding her way of thinking through textiles. “I wanted to translate her way of thinking about material — to build what I would call a deep material world,” he says, adding that the result is a collection in which “fabric is not simply a surface, but the narrative itself.” In that sense, the collection does not borrow from art so much as absorb its logic, allowing texture, structure and light to guide the silhouette.
That same approach shapes the way Albert designs: He begins with the feel of the cloth in his hands. “Every fabric has its own character. It may be fluid or stiff, light or protective, soft or precise. Once I feel it, the garment is already somehow present. When I begin designing, I need to have the fabric in my hand. That is often where the idea begins. I often say that it is the eyes in my fingers that tell me what to do. I never try to force a material into a shape. The task is to understand its qualities and allow the silhouette to emerge from them. In that sense, fabric is not only part of the creative process – it can be the beginning of the design itself,” Albert explains. For him, the designer’s role is not to force a material into a preconceived shape, but to understand its qualities and let the silhouette emerge from them.
Nowhere is that philosophy more apparent than in Akris’ relationship with horsehair, one of the maison’s most distinctive materials. Its story begins on the Mongolian steppe before travelling to one of the last historic workshops in southern England, where the hair is still hand sorted, dyed separately from the cotton yarn and woven on Victorian looms dating back to 1872. Only then is it transformed into accessories in the Akris atelier. Albert describes horsehair as “simply so rare and unlike any other material. It has a stiffness and resilience that makes it ideal for creating sleek, architectural shapes. But what fascinates me most is the way it takes colour. Each individual hair absorbs dye differently, creating subtle nuances, depth and luminosity within the fabric that becomes even more beautiful over time. For me, this balance of strength and subtlety is what makes the material so compelling.”
Craft, too, remains central. “The human element is essential. Craft is not nostalgia; it is the basis of how we work and where creativity starts. We have always believed in keeping the process close, from design and pattern-making to material development and production. Many of the people who work with us have been part of Akris for decades, and that continuity becomes part of the creative identity of the house. Preserving craftsmanship is not about freezing it in time, but about carrying it forward, making it feel modern, fresh and relevant,” Albert says. As one of the last family-owned and family-run houses in the industry, Akris keeps design, pattern-making, material development and production close, with artisans whose knowledge has become part of the fabric of the maison itself.
In a fashion landscape increasingly driven by digital imagery and speed, Albert Kriemler insists that clothing must remain a physical experience. “Clothes should not only be seen; they should be felt,” he says. “They should offer comfort, protection and confidence. Fashion is a visual language, of course, but first and foremost it is a conversation between the body, the garment and the person wearing it.”
Comments